


Zevran's Daughter

by snowstormdaydreams



Series: Zevran's Daughter [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alistair and Zevran are good dads, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Sad Ending, Sweet, Sweet Zevran Arainai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23612611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowstormdaydreams/pseuds/snowstormdaydreams
Summary: Zevran is an impressive assassin with a ten-year-old daughter following close at his heels.  After the failed attempt to kill them, Brielle Cousland allows he and his daughter to join them.  Sorina is as charming as her father and only slightly less dangerous, and soon she has the Wardens and their companions wrapped around her little finger.
Relationships: Alistair & Zevran Arainai, Alistair/Female Cousland (Dragon Age), Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Zevran Arainai & Female Warden
Series: Zevran's Daughter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846549
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

The assassin was just waking up as Brielle, Alistair, and Morrigan stood over him. Morrigan nudged the unconscious man with her shoe, sighing heavily when he barely moved. They had already taken care of all the people who had ambushed them, so they didn’t pay too much attention when the bushes rustled behind them.

What they weren’t expecting was for an elven child to burst out from the underbrush and come charging at them. Brielle and Alistair were frozen in place, and even Morrigan didn’t have the presence of mind to cast a spell. The child was wielding a knife, and made a valiant effort to stab Alistair. She wasn’t strong enough to pierce his armor, and wasn’t trained enough to find a weak spot, so he was able to grab her before she could strike again.

She struggled in his hold, and the helmet hood slipped back, revealing practically silver braided hair and a tattooed face. “Let me go, shem!” 

Morrigan gasped at the reveal, stepping forward to study the girl’s face up close. The child spouted threats in Elvish, and continued to struggle, even after Brielle and Alistair had taken the dagger from her. The assassin blinked his eyes open, and they focused back on him, doing their best to ignore the small child cursing at them with all the spite her tiny body could muster.

The man’s eyes snapped open suddenly, and he sat up when his eyes fell on the little girl. “Ah, mi amor, what have I told you?”

She whipped her head around to see him, stilling immediately under his gaze and sticking her lip out in a pout. Brielle looked between them incredulously. “You know this child?”

“Ah, I will answer the question of course, my beautiful Warden, but first… a proposition,” he smiled confidently.

The nerve of the man lying on the ground in front of her was incredible, but Brielle agreed to hear him out. He wore an easy smile the whole time they spoke, but one careful eye was kept on the little girl who Alistair still had by the arm. Now that she was unarmed and quiet, he was gentle with his hold, and the girl made no move to get away. 

Brielle regarded Zevran after he had told her everything, deep in thought. “So, how do you know the kid?”

For the first time, Zevran’s facade slipped just slightly. “That would be my lovely, bull headed, troublemaker of a child.”

“You, an assassin, on a mission, have a _daughter_?” Morrigan’s voice was dripping with contempt.

“Ah, yes my dear lady. As you can no doubt see from her abrupt entrance, Sorina does not listen when I tell her to stay in one place. She listens to others even less so.”

The little girl crossed her arms over her chest petulantly. “They _hurt_ you.”

He nodded solemnly. “An occupational hazard, mi amor.”

Watching the exchange, Brielle tapped her cheek. “I assume she would also be tagging along.”

“She will not be a bother, I swear to you. You will hardly know she is there.”

“Ok, well, then we have a deal. _For now_.”

Zevran had been right when he’d told Brielle that they wouldn’t see much of Sorina. The only indication that she was there was the extra food he brought to his tent at night, and the twitchy way Zevran acted when waiting for her to return from the woods at sundown. Bodahn’s assurances he’d take good care of her whenever they left was the most any of them spoke of her. It wasn’t until nearly a month after they’d joined them that Brielle saw Sorina in more then passing.

Long after everyone had gone to bed, Brielle found she couldn’t sleep. Alistair was on watch, but she heard some faint scuffling from near the camp. When she stepped out, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, and she gazed out over the camp. Alistair wasn’t by the fire which raised her guard, but she spotted him at the edge of the woods, another small fire beside him.

As she got closer, she heard the clear sounds of a fight, and she couldn’t figure out why Alistair was doing nothing until she saw what he was looking at. Sorina and Zevran were circling around each other at the edge of the clearing, both holding blunted daggers. Alistair was watching them intently, and giving her advice from the sidelines. He glanced over when Brielle arrived beside him before turning his attention back to the sparring.

“C’mon, Sorina, you can do it!”

Sorina didn’t even look his way, darting in and slashing at her father’s armor. It left a dent in the leather, and Brielle was pretty sure he’d be left with a bruise. She thought he would go easy on her, but Zevran was a ruthless opponent. His daughter could duck and move with as much fluid grace as he could, and for a bit, it almost seemed like they were evenly matched, until Zevran finally knocked her off her feet.

She tried to push herself up, but winced, and Zevran arrived at her side immediately. “Ah, I’m sorry, mi amor.”

Sorina allowed him to pull her up. “Am I getting better?”

“It sure looks it, Zevran will have to watch his back if he wants to beat you again,” Alistair grinned. 

She beamed at the templar, but when she caught sight of Brielle, it dulled some. “Thank you, Alistair, I’m sorry if we woke you, Warden.”

Brielle shook her head. “Oh no, I couldn’t sleep. You have fantastic form, Sorina, and you’re awfully quick on your feet, if you’d like, I can help you learn some more.”

Sorina looked at Zevran pleadingly, and he looked down at her thoughtfully. “My training has focused on stealth, and exploiting weaknesses, a new type of training could be very useful. Alistair has been helping with her form and defensive tactics as best he can, but his fighting style is too clunky for her.”

“Hey!” Alistair glared at the older man. “I’m right here.”

Brielle was surprised when Sorina broke away from her father and ran to Alistair, wrapping her arms around his waist. She didn’t seem to mind the cold metal much, smiling up at him when he hugged her back. “Thank you for all your help, lethallin.”

He smoothed down a stray hair that had escaped from her braid. “Now I call you da’len, right?”

She shook her head, and they exchanged a look of understanding before he hummed thoughtfully. “How about… bug?”

Sorina giggled, shaking her head. “Flower? Little one? Baby?”

Each of his suggestions was met with another giggle and a shake of her head. Alistair looked down at her, smiling softly before tilting his head. “How about butterfly? You’re so fast it’s almost like you’re flying.” He had heard the man in Honnleath address his daughter with the pet name.

Her face lit up, and she looked back at Zevran. “Alistair thinks I’m like a butterfly!”

“And as pretty as any butterfly anyone could see,” he shook his head fondly, eyes trailing over the camp. “It’s time for bed, mi amor, I’ll wake you up early so I can fix your braids before we go.”

She pulled away from Alistair and frowned. “How long will you be gone this time?”

“Not too long love, I’ll bring you back something nice.”

Sorina nodded, taking the hand he held out for her. “Goodnight, Warden, thank you,” she waved at Brielle and smiled at Alistair on their way by. 

They disappeared into Zevran’s tent, and Alistair began working to put the fire out. “I didn’t know you’d become a father,” she smirked over at him.

His face pinched up, but he didn’t deny it. “She seems to like me at least.”

“She’s teaching you Elvish, I think she more than likes you.”

He smiled shyly as he stomped out the ashes and kicked sand over them. His expression didn’t change as he waited for them to go out, and he finally spoke as they walked towards the middle of the camp. “Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, but I’m shocked Zevran even allows it.”

“Uh, well, he was right after he tried to kill us, Sorina is sometimes very stubborn. She started sneaking out of the tent after he was asleep, so I told him. Even after he talked to her she still did it on nights I was on watch, so he threatened me and told me I better look after her.”

“She never comes out when I’m on watch. And no one else has mentioned seeing her out and about.”

Alistair snorted. “She doesn’t come out when Leliana or Sten are on watch, and Shale just doesn’t want anyone to know she loves a squishy inferior being.”

“Seriously?” Brielle waited for Alistair’s nod before chuckling. “She must be quite a child to win Shale over.”

“She is, she’s very smart and sweet, and a fantastic fighter.”

“I’ll have to see her a bit more, but I believe you. Zevran wasn’t going easy on her, and she still got in a couple good swipes.”

“He never goes easy on her, he wants her to be ready if something happens.”

“Smart,” she stared at the fire. “I’ll spend some time with her when we get back from the mage tower. You can get some sleep, I’ll wait until Sten takes over watch.”

He smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Brielle, you’re sure?”

She nodded and sat on the ground beside the fire. Alistair wished her good night and disappeared into his tent. As she sat waiting, she found herself lost in thought. Zevran hadn’t offered any information on his daughter since they’d joined the group, but she found herself curious. When Sten emerged an hour later, he found her still staring off into space.


	2. Chapter 2

They returned from the mage tower a week after they’d left camp, with a new recruit in tow. The events that had transpired were horrifying, between all the demons, blood mages, and getting stuck in the fade, it had been an exhausting journey. Zevran and Alistair were all but running ahead, and Brielle nearly laughed at their attempts to act casual. As soon as they stepped into the clearing, Zevran took off towards his tent, and Alistair muttered something about making dinner.

Wynne watched them with curious eyes as Brielle walked with her into camp. “Where are they off to in such a hurry?”

“Zevran just wants to check on Sorina, and Alistair needs to make her dinner,” Brielle spoke without thought.

“Sorina?” The mage tilted her head in question.

“Zevran’s daughter,” she waved to Leliana, Morrigan, and Sten. Leliana returned it, while Morrigan and Sten pretended they hadn’t seen. 

“Zevran has a… daughter?”

Wynne said the word as if she had never heard it before, and Alistair looked up as they came to sit around the fire. Brielle knew he had noticed the older woman’s tone. Laying on her back on the ground, she resisted the urge to just close her eyes and go to sleep. “Sorina, she’s very sweet.”

Zevran seemed to appear out of nowhere, making them all jump. “And a slippery little thing. Bodahn informs me she left camp earlier today,” he took a seat next to Brielle on the ground, allowing her to adjust herself to use his leg as a pillow.

“Are you going to go find her?” Wynne turned to Alistair wide-eyed.

He shrugged, glancing at Zevran. “She has her daggers?”

“Wore her armor as well, she’ll make her dramatic entrance soon,” Zevran rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, but it didn’t negate how stupidly fond he looked when he talked about his daughter.

“You’ll leave a small child alone in the woods?”

“She’s a terror that one,” he brushed off the mage’s concern easily.

Alistair turned back to the pot over the fire. “She knows to be back by dark,” he smiled as reassuringly as he could at Wynne.

Before Wynne could continue, Brielle sat up. “I’ll come help you set up your tent, it’ll be better to get it done before dark.”

Wynne nodded, still looking at Zevran incredulously, and Alistair avoided her gaze. Since any continued questioning about his daughter would erode Zevran’s friendliness rather quickly, it was better to get Wynne away from him. She was fairly certain Alistair would back up Zevran in a pinch, _especially_ if it pertained to Sorina.

Brielle managed to keep Wynne occupied until the sun was hanging low in the sky. Alistair was starting to get twitchy by the fire, and Zevran had started pacing. Despite what they said, they seemed to get nervous when Sorina made a last minute appearance. They would be back at camp a few days while they planned their next move, then they would make a quick stop at Soldier’s keep to help Levi Dryden. It gave Zevran and Alistair time with Sorina, and Brielle was looking forward to working with her.

Just as the last of the sun’s rays painted the sky, there was some rustling from the edge of camp. There was a quick glimpse of Sorina through the trees, and just after, she emerged a ways away from where she’d been. She ran at her father as soon as she spotted him, and Zevran caught her easily, his grin matching hers. He dropped a few kisses to the crown of her head, then a few more on her face as he set her down. 

Brielle watched him look her over quickly, before giving her another squeeze and letting her go greet Alistair. Sorina ran at him the exact same way she had her father, and the warrior caught her just as easily. As they made their way back to the fire, she could practically feel Wynne trying to stare a hole right through them.

Sorina seemed to realize something was off, because she stiffened as they got closer, slipping out of Alistair’s arms. She looked between Brielle and Wynne suspiciously, eyes intense, even through the darkened expanse between them. Looking at her father, and then Alistair, she waited for them to smile reassuringly before she relaxed into Alistair who still stood behind her.

“Sorina, this is Wynne, we met her at the tower. She’s going to be coming along with us,” Brielle smiled at the little girl.

“She’s a mage,” Sorina’s voice was flat.

Zevran didn’t seem perturbed that she knew that, despite the fact that Wynne had set her staff down and was wearing leather armor. “How did you know that?” Brielle looked at her curiously.

“I just do,” she shrugged before turning away from the two women, pressing her cheek against Alistair’s armor.

Zevran passed by to pluck as few leaves from her hair, unbothered by the affection she paid the warrior. He settled on the ground by the fire, and after a few minutes, Sorina gravitated to his side. Wynne sat on the log that had been overturned to provide seating, and looked on as the little girl leaned into her father’s side.

“How old are you, Sorina?” The mage’s voice was friendly, but her eyes were shrewd.

“I’m ten, how old are you?”

Alistair scolded her when it didn’t seem Zevran would. “That’s not a nice question butterfly.”

“She asked me first,” Sorina stuck her lower lip out in a pout.

Zevran tried to muffle a snort, but Wynne’s critical look made it clear he hadn’t been successful. Brielle hid a smile of her own behind her hand, noticing that Alistair did the same. “What did you do while we were gone?” Zevran’s amusement showed plainly on his face as he steered the conversation in a different direction.

Sorina’s face lit up. “I explored the woods. I found the prettiest bird, but Bodahn said I couldn’t keep it. I swam in the stream. Oh, oh! Sandal and I made a rune too,” she looked unbelievably proud of herself.

Zevran raised an eyebrow. “And that kept you occupied the whole time?”

The question seemed to have another meaning, and Sorina ducked her head. “I practiced, and Bodahn told me stories, and helped me read a book in Standard.”

“And you behaved?”

She averted her eyes, shrinking back under his arm. “Mostly.”

He kissed her temple. “You did well, mi amor, just remember to tell Bodahn when you wish to go exploring.”

“Yes, papa.”

Brielle tilted her head when Wynne spoke again. “So you’re learning to read in Standard?”

“Yes ma’am, I only learned to read Elvish.”

“I see you have your vallaslin, I understand the Dalish don’t normally get them so young.”

Morrigan chose that moment to appear. “The Keeper decides when each clan member is ready.”

Sorina looked like she was considering which woman to rebuke, but she sounded as diplomatic as she could when she finally spoke. “I was ready, so I got it.”

Zevran’s normally laid back smile was a bit tight. “There is no reason to discuss such matters. Alistair appears to be almost done, so Sorina and I will fetch some fresh water to go with supper.”

He and his daughter both stood and headed into the forest. Zevran kept his arm around her shoulders, ducking his head down to hear whatever it was she said. Alistair stared down resolutely at the pot, leaving Brielle to mediate the conversation between Wynne and Morrigan.

When the two Elves returned, Sorina had relaxed some, and she didn’t look at Wynne as they came back into the light of the fire. After she’d settled back on the ground with Zevran, Alistair gave her dinner before serving everyone else. Sten and Leliana gravitated to them and sat down to eat, while Morrigan returned to her own fire.

Leliana sat across from Sorina, and began a tale about Val Royeaux that left the little girl staring at her in wide eyed wonder. She sat there long after supper had been finished to continue spinning tales for Sorina, answering all her questions. When it got late, Zevran returned to the fireside to fetch her.

After some minor protest, Sorina sighed. “Thank you for the stories, Leliana.”

“Of course, I am always happy to speak of my home,” Leliana smiled.

Sorina took Zevran’s hand and reluctantly allowing him to pull her up. “You want to be well rested for training tomorrow, no? The Warden has some things she’d like to teach you.”

“Goodnight, Shale!” She yelled across the camp, and Shale’s scoff could be heard right away. Suddenly stopping short, Sorina looked around the camp. “I need to say good night to Alistair.”

Brielle overheard on her way by. “Alistair went to the stream to wash up, but I’ll let him know you’d like to see him as soon as he returns.”

“Thank you, Warden,” she smiled sleepily, eyes drooping.

“Come, mi amor, you might fall asleep on your feet if we do not get you to bed,” Zevran pulled her along gently.

Brielle watched the flap of their tent fall closed before walking to the fire, where some of her companions had congregated again. Leliana and Wynne sat talking, while Sten stoked the fire. When Alistair got back to camp, she sent him to say good night to Sorina, and he and Zevran emerged a few minutes later.

They joined the rest of them, and even Shale came closer, though she didn’t add to the talking. When the chatter hit a lull, Wynne cleared her throat. “Your daughter seems lovely.”

Zevran seemed to see where the conversation was going, so he took a moment to reply. “She is the loveliest, but do not let her fool you, she is quite a trouble maker.”

Before Wynne could say anything, he feigned a yawn and stood. “It has been a long day, and I think I’ll turn in,” he bowed slightly before he made his exit.

Wynne didn’t seem deterred by his abrupt exit. “Do you think it wise to have such a young child travel with you?”

Alistair deflected the question. “What safer place then with the last two Wardens in Ferelden?”

The older woman didn’t look impressed, but she seemed to realize that pushing would get her nowhere. After she’d gone to her tent, Brielle, Alistair, and Leliana exchanged worried looks before both women excused themselves, leaving Sten and Alistair on watch.

The next night, Brielle was shaken from sleep by the sound of shrieking. She’d been wiped out from a day of teaching Sorina, and had gone to bed a little early. She immediately reached for her daggers, movements a little slowed by sleepiness, and emerged from her tent. There was a swarm of darkspawn and shrieks storming the camp, and she charged right into the fray.

Morrigan was flinging spells left and right, when suddenly one nearly singed Brielle’s armor. “Morrigan, watch it with the fire!”

“Twas not me!” Morrigan sounded even more shocked then Brielle.

Brielle looked around to see if Wynne had appeared, but the older woman was no where in sight, and she pushed it from her mind to focus on the fight. Several minutes later, the last shriek was killed when Alistair plunged his blade into it. Everyone stood around staring at each other in stunned silence, when there was a commotion at the edge of camp.

“Sorina, mi amor come out now, the darkspawn are gone!” Zevran was yelling into the forest, all trace of his usual calm gone from his voice. 

Brielle and Alistair shared a look before dashing over. “What happened?”

Zevran shoved a hand through his hair. “I told her to stay put, but then I saw her slip out of camp. She must have been frightened, or…”

“You and Alistair get some lanterns and look for her, and we’ll start packing up camp. We can’t stay here anymore.”

Alistair went to fetch the lanterns, while Zevran hovered at the edge of the woods, peering into the darkness. They headed in as soon as he returned, calling out to Sorina in the hopes that she’d answer. After they’d gotten fairly far, Zevran heard sniffles up ahead of them. As they picked their way further, they caught sight of Sorina’s hair, reflecting the faint light and glowing nearly gold.

He kept his voice soft as he approached her. “Sorina, mi amor? What’s wrong?”

When he went to take another step forward, she spoke. “Don’t, don’t come any closer!”

Zevran exchanged a look of concern with Alistair but did as she said, staying where he was. “I won’t, I’ll stay right here.”

Suddenly she hid her hands under her legs, looking terrified. “Papa, I didn’t mean to, I swear! I don’t know how it happened!”

He sat down on the ground, ignoring the thorns that pricked his arms. “Tell me what happened.”

“I.... I left my hiding place, and I took my dagger and stabbed one of them. But then, one got too close to you and Alistair and I… I…”

“It’s okay, amor, take your time,” Zevran offered her a gentle smile.

“I made fire,” her voice was barely a whisper.

“Maker…”

Waving off Alistair’s comment, he kept his eyes on his daughter. “You made fire? Are you quite sure?”

Sorina nodded hesitantly, practically holding her breath. “I didn’t mean to.”

Zevran held his arms out for her, and she looked unsure for a moment, before crawling over to him and burying her face in his neck. “It’s alright, mi amor, everything will be alright.”

She hiccuped sobs and he rubbed her back reassuringly. “I almost hurt the Warden!” 

“Brielle is safe Sorina, she’s waiting for us back at camp,” Alistair’s voice was soft.

She looked up at Alistair, tears shining in the light of the lantern. “You promise?”

“I promise, how about we go see her? Maybe you’ll feel a little better.”

“What a fantastic idea. Come, let’s go find the beautiful Warden.”

Alistair helped Sorina stand, and Zevran picked her up as soon as he was on his feet. They made their way through the trees, and the only sound aside from their footsteps was the soft sound of Sorina sniffling. When they emerged, everyone was nearly packed up, and the only tents that still stood were those too damaged to take with them.

When Brielle caught sight of them from the corner of her eye, she dashed over. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch Sorina’s back, instead running a hand through her own hair. The girl’s eyes were intense as she studied Brielle for any sign of injury.

“I’m sorry, Warden,” Sorina’s voice was small.

“What for, sweetie?”

Zevran spoke up before his daughter could, noticing Wynne hovering nearby. “She’s very sorry for worrying us,” he exchanged a look with his daughter, and they didn’t have to say anything for her to understand.

Instead she reached out, smiling when Brielle took the hand offered, noticing how Sorina clung to her. “You’re not hurt.”

“No, I’m just fine. We all had a little scare though, and it will be a long night while we move camp.”

Alistair put a hand on her back. “We’ll carry you so you can get some more sleep.”

“No, I can walk…” She was cut off by a large yawn, making Alistair smile.

Leliana approached their group as Alistair walked away, winking at Sorina. “All of us are ready, shall we set off?”

“Just one minute while we get the princess settled,” Zevran laid a kiss on the top of his daughter’s head. “I’m going to set you down for a moment, mi amor.”

Sorina grumbled in protest but did as she was told when Zevran crouched down with his back to her, waiting until she wrapped her arms around him before he stood. Alistair appeared with a blanket, wrapping it around Sorina’s back, and helping Zevran move her into the most comfortable position. As soon as she was settled, she sighed, and before they’d even reached the road, she was fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Sorina was clinging to Alistair, reluctant to let him leave. Most everyone was going to Soldier’s Peak to meet Levi, and only Morrigan and Zevran were staying at camp. Morrigan had reluctantly agreed to give Sorina some lessons in the few days the others were gone. If anyone was suspicious by the sudden change in plans, they didn’t comment.

Alistair ducked to exchange a few words with Sorina. He was a templar, so she was convinced that he needed to stay to make sure she couldn’t hurt anyone. Morrigan had tried to refute that logic, but she hadn’t wanted to hear it. As Alistair spoke, she slowly released her grip on him.

“I’ll be back in just a few days, and Zevran will be here with you the whole time.”

“But papa doesn’t know how to stop magic,” Sorina’s words were just a whisper.

“You’ll be ok, just listen to Morrigan,” he made a face. “Oh, Maker, I hope that’s the only time I say those words.”

She giggled and he kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you in a few days, butterfly.”

Sorina finally nodded, fully stepping back from him before letting go of his hand. Brielle, Leliana, and Wynne offered a final wave in her direction which were returned, but as soon as the older woman turned her back, Sorina stuck out her tongue. Even after several days, she was just not having it with Wynne.

The three of them waited around for a few hours before getting to work. Bodahn had been informed of the situation, and as faithful as ever, had promised not to say a word. Zevran held his daughter’s hand as they went to Morrigan’s camp fire. She looked down at Sorina, and he swore there was a tiny bit of sympathy in her eyes when she saw how terrified the little girl was.

Sorina was as quick a study with magic as she was with fighting, and literally everything else. She soaked up Morrigan’s teaching like a sponge, and by the time the others returned, she didn’t seem so terrified. Alistair instantly relaxed when he saw her looking happier then she had since the night their camp had been attacked.

She was so excited to see him, she ran at him as soon as he’d entered the camp. Pressing her lips in a thin line so she wouldn’t reveal what she’d been up to the last few days, she hugged him tightly. She wished she’d taught him more Elvish so she could tell him, but instead she rocked back and forth onto her heels.

Her mood was contagious, and Brielle and Leliana grinned as soon as they saw her. Brielle was pleasantly surprised when Sorina reached out and took her hand for a moment. She’d been briefed on the situation to allow Morrigan the few days to help out, and she was glad to see Sorina in better spirits.

For the rest of the day, Sorina followed Alistair around like a puppy. She would duck off to see Turtle, or hug her father, but the majority of her time was spent glued to his side. The warrior didn’t seem to mind, deftly stepping around her when she was practically under foot. Even once he’d started to make dinner, he didn’t shoo her away, and Zevran and Brielle, while admiring his unending patience, decided to take Sorina off his hands.

Brielle approached the campfire as Zevran stood at the edge of camp. “Hey, Sorina, how about you come show me and your papa some of what I taught you before we left?”

Sorina looked reluctant, but as soon as Alistair smiled encouragingly, she took off running towards her father. He turned his eyes on his fellow Warden, raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t need to do that.” 

“Zevran knew you’d be too nice to send her away, even when she was getting underfoot. He says you spoil her.”

He scoffed indignantly. “Zevran shouldn’t be allowed to spread such slander… I can say no to her.”

She looked at his skeptically. “ _Have_ you ever said no to her?”

“Yes, of course! I said no to her when she wanted me to stay here, I went to Soldier’s Peak.”

“Because you had to.” He grumbled under his breath but didn’t bother to deny it. Patting his arm comfortingly, she shook her head fondly and went to join Zevran and Sorina at the edge of camp.

They were only able to keep Sorina’s magic a secret for about two weeks. They had stopped off in Redcliffe to see how the town was doing after the undead attacks, leaving Sorina at camp with Bodahn. The Urn of Sacred Ashes still needed to be found to cure the Arl, and Isolde had demanded they do it as soon as possible. Returning to camp that night, Zevran, Alistair, and Brielle were discussing what still had to be done. They’d only secured one of their three alliances, and the Blight was spreading fast.

They were all tired after an emotionally draining day of checking in with Bann Teagan, Isolde, and all the townspeople. It had been nice to see the positive result of the hard work it had taken to help the town. As soon as they were within the light of the fire, Bodahn came rushing up to them.

“Warden, Warden, it’s Sorina! She accidentally scorched the bush, and she ran away! My boy and I tried to find her, but we couldn’t,” he looked so regretful, Brielle didn’t even have the heart to be angry about his raised voice.

Zevran immediately looked around to see if anyone had heard, but everyone was in their tents. “How long ago was this?”

“Just after you left, serah.”

Zevran’s jaw clenched, and his smile was forced. “She could not have gotten far on such tiny legs, I shall go out and look for her.”

“Alistair should go with you, I’ll stay here and start dinner so it’ll be ready when you bring her back,” Brielle kept her voice level and calm.

She watched them fetch lanterns, and with a final nod at each other, they went in opposite directions. Zevran called Sorina’s name as he made his way through the trees, keeping an ear out for any rustling and poised to grab his dagger if anything jumped out at him.

Hearing a noise from his left, he stared into the darkness, trying to see what it was. He thought he saw someone dart through the bushes, and he caught sight of a flash of silver. “Sorina, my dear, lovely troublemaker, I wish you would come out and give your papa a hug. Don’t you wish to hear your favorite rogue tell you a bedtime story?”

“Will you tell me about Antiva again… and braid my hair?” Sorina’s voice was quiet, but it carried through the trees.

“Ah, but of course. But first I would like to hear about your day.”

He heard a deep sigh before there was more rustling, and Sorina appeared from the bushes on the right. The training they’d been doing was working, and Sorina was as soft on her feet as almost any assassin. He set the lantern down and stooped over with his arms open. She only hesitated a bare moment before running to him, allowing to scoop her off the ground.

Sorina buried her face in his chest, breathing the scent of leather in deeply. Her braids had come mostly undone, and he stroked her hair. “Tell me what happened.”

“I didn’t mean to, I swear, papa!”

He melted, hearing the genuine distress in her voice. “I’m not upset, mi amor, I just need to know.”

“I was sad and angry when you left, and I just moved my hand, and the bush was on fire!” Her voice was thick with tears, and it hurt to hear.

He placed a kiss on her head, humming reassurances in Antivan. “It’s alright, my love, it was an accident, yes?” She nodded quietly into his chest, taking another deep breath. “You’ve been in the woods all day, but growing Elves need to eat, hm? Brielle is making dinner for you and we’ll get your hair looking pretty again as soon as you eat.”

He adjusted her on his hip, leaning over to grab the lantern before turning around and heading through the forest. Humming as he walked, he spotted the campfire when the trees thinned out. As he stepped into the clearing, he saw that Alistair had returned already, looking enormously relieved when he carried Sorina into camp.

“Sorina!” He ran over with Brielle on his heels, smoothing a hand over the little girl’s head as soon as she was close enough. “Are you alright?”

Sorina didn’t answer, so Zevran rushed to reassure them both. “A little shaken up, but as brave and demanding as ever, I assure you.”

“Papa’s going to braid my hair.”

“Maybe Wynne can review some of the magic lessons Morrigan gave you…” Brielle’s voice trailed off when she saw Sorina’s glare. “Or maybe I can bribe Morrigan to do it. Maker, actually, keep Wynne away from Sorina,” she seemed to be thinking to herself.

“Of course, Sorina will be with yours truly, and I, can be quite intimidating,” his voice was oozing bravado, and it had the desired effect of making Sorina giggle.

He jostled her slightly, gratified when it earned him another laugh. “Come, mi amor, let’s have some supper.”

Sorina didn’t protest, allowing herself to be carried away, Alistair following closely behind. Brielle watched them for a moment longer before turning around to find Morrigan and convince her to help them out again.

After a long evening of reviewing her lessons with Morrigan as Zevran braided her hair, Sorina could barely hold her eyes open. She insisted Zevran tell her the story he’d promised her before she went to sleep, clinging to him when he picked her up. He gave in with very little prompting, taking her to their tent.

When he came out a little while later, several members of their little group were sitting around and chatting. Morrigan was still at her own fire where they’d left her after she’d reviewed with Sorina. Wynne’s gaze was intense as he sat down. Brielle sat between his legs, and he absently started braiding her hair, mind wandering to his daughter. The new appearance of magic in her life scared Sorina, and he was at a loss with how to help her. He’d taught her to fight many types of opponents, but magic within herself was not something she could pull her blade on.

Wynne’s voice cut through the sounds of idle conversation when Zevran was halfway done. “Your daughter is a mage,” it wasn’t a question.

Leliana didn’t look shocked at the revelation, and she resumed her story to fill the silence, giving Zevran time to gather his thoughts. “It appears so.”

“A young mage, just discovering her magic? Zevran, even you must know she needs to be trained in the circle.”

Brielle could feel the assassin stiffen behind her, hands tightening in her hair. “Sorina is of the Dalish.”

“Perhaps, but she’s not with them now, and she could accidentally harm someone.”

Alistair jumped in then. “We’re taking appropriate measures to make sure she learns. Morrigan had been working with her,” when Wynne looked like she might interrupt, he continued without giving her the chance, “she is a perfectly competent mage, and Sorina is learning quickly.”

“Morrigan is an apostate, a new mage needs to be separated from others to learn, and to keep everyone safe.”

Brielle put a hand on Zevran’s wrist, and he seemed to realize his hands had gotten too tight. Tapping the back of her hand in apology, he continued as she dropped her hand back to her lap. He was still tense, but he seemed willing enough to let Alistair be the one to discuss the matter with Wynne. Considering Zevran was prone to eliminating disagreeable things, it was probably for the best.

“She’s not going to the circle,” Alistair had never sounded so forceful in his talks with Wynne, meeting her gaze head on.

Sighing in frustration, Wynne stood abruptly. “Very well then, I’ll retire for the night.”

As soon as she disappeared into her tent, Alistair deflated, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. “Maker knows I like Wynne, but…”

He let the statement trail off, and Brielle smiled sympathetically. Leliana excused herself not long after to return to her own tent. The three of them were left alone as Zevran finished up Brielle’s hair. “Sorina is scared enough she will hurt someone, she does not need Wynne seemingly confirming her fears,” his voice was soft.

“Considering she’s only had a few days of lessons, she has fantastic control. The only things she’s hurt are darkspawn and a bush, and I’m sure the bush deserved it,” Alistair smiled wryly.

Wrapping a tie on the end of the braid, Zevran leaned back to admire his handiwork. “A lovely Warden, made all the more lovely with a breathtaking braid,” he looked up at Alistair. “I believe Sorina will master her magic through sheer will alone, she will not tolerate accidentally hurting someone. On purpose on the other hand…”

Brielle elbowed his leg halfheartedly. “She would never hurt someone who didn’t deserve it.”

“No, I imagine not, she has not inherited most of her papa’s unscrupulous ways.”

“Yet she’s as stubborn and strong headed as he is.”

Zevran put his hand on his chest in mock offense. “How could you? And after I made your hair look so exquisite.”

Brielle rolled her eyes as she stood, stretching as she yawned. “Well I’m turning in now, I promised Sorina a few more hours of training before Morrigan takes some more time with her. Morrigan says she’s doing well considering how recently her magic appeared. I’m not surprised the only person to ever somewhat impress her is Sorina.”

“Sorina could impress Andraste herself,” Zevran smiled proudly.

“That’s blasphemy,” Alistair paused a moment before grinning, “but I believe it.”

“Well, I will see you in the morning bright and early. Goodnight, gentlemen,” she wrinkled her nose. “I think that was the wrong choice of word,” shaking her head, she turned to go to her tent, hearing Zevran’s chuckle behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

When they got to Denerim, they left Sorina at camp but Zevran should have known better then to believe she would stay put. As soon as they stepped into the city, Turtle took off running. Exchanging a confused look with Brielle, they continued on, knowing the hound would find them.

Ten minutes later, Turtle returned, dragging a child by the shirt. He didn’t need to see their face to know it was Sorina. The mess of silvery blonde hair up in elaborate braids gave her away immediately. Turtle stopped her in front of them, and she crossed her arms, lower lip stuck out in a pout. How she had somehow managed to beat them to the city was impressive, but he would have time to be impressed later.

Zevran raised an eyebrow as both he and Alistair mirrored her pose. “Mi amor, what did I tell you before we left?”

“To stay at camp and be good for Bodahn.”

“And?”

She shifted restlessly, sighing heavily. “Not to follow you.”

“And what did you do?”

“I ran all the way here,” she suddenly perked up, “so I didn’t really follow you!”

Zevran snorted in amusement, and Alistair shot him a disapproving look. “You still broke our other rules.”

“But… I’ve never seen a shem city! I just wanted to see,” she looked at them with wide puppy eyes, sticking her lip out further.

Both men wavered, and Brielle knew they’d give in. Wynne’s gaze was heavy on their backs, but none of them paid much attention. It was somewhat dangerous to be there, since Loghain was still after them, so if anyone recognized them, there could be trouble. On the other hand, even if someone accompanied Sorina back to camp, she’d most like just give them the slip and return on her own.

Alistair and Zevran knew it too, and after exchanging a look they sighed in unison. “You may stay.”

“But if there’s any fighting, you hide, got it?” Alistair pointed at her.

She smiled sunnily. “Thank you, papa, thank you, lethallin.”

Zevran smiled fondly. “Ah, my little mischief maker,” he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“But you love me,” her face fell for a moment as she peeked up at him, “right?”

“Of course, mi amor.”

“We wouldn’t have you any other way,” Alistair’s smile was reassuring.

Zevran and Alistair had become remarkably adept at keeping an eye on Sorina, so even as they got things done, one of them made sure she didn’t wander too far for the most part. Later in the day when they got into the altercation at Brother Genitivi’s, she managed to get away for a little while. When she skipped back over to them, she looked rather excited. Alistair looked relieved to see her, and Zevran gave her a once over, just to be sure she wasn’t injured.

“Papa, did you see all the pretty things in the market?” She sighed dreamily, taking a hold of his hand as they left the city. “And the pretty silk the ladies wear. It’s like Leiliana’s stories about Val Royeaux!”

Leliana looked horrified to have her home compared to Denerim, so Brielle patted her arm sympathetically when it seemed she was struggling to hold her tongue. In her stories to Sorina that night, Leliana painted Val Royeaux in the most lavish grandeur she possibly could, highlighting the differences between it and Denerim. The effort was lost on Sorina, but she listened in awe until she was half asleep, and Zevran had to carry her to bed. 

They were on their way to Haven a few days later, sitting around the fire. Brielle leaned back on Zevran’s legs, with Sorina kneeling next to her, as the two worked on braiding her hair. She sighed heavily pulling her knees up to her chest as she stared longingly across camp.

“My dear Warden, what has you so distracted?” 

Brielle could practically hear the smirk in Zevran’s voice, and she was tempted to bury her face in her knees, to hide the blush, but Sorina was working intently, and she didn’t want to disturb her. Instead, she elbowed Zevran in the shin, eyes trailing back to where Alistair stood guard at the edge of camp.

The words slipped out before she could think to bite them back. “Do you think he likes me?”

Zevran didn’t have to see who she was looking at to know who she was talking about, and he watched Sorina follow Brielle’s line of sight. He knew the exact moment she saw who the Warden was talking about, because her eyes widened. “You like Alistair!” She stared back and forth between the two Wardens, face lit up.

Brielle’s blush deepened, and Zevran put a finger to his lips when his daughter looked up at him. “It’s a secret, mi amor.”

She scrunched her nose, fingers stilling as she stared over at Alistair. “Why? Alistair likes her back.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He smiles so wide when he sees Brielle! Even wider then when he sees me! That must mean he likes her better!” She punctuated the observation with a quick nod.

Brielle poked the little girl in the leg gently. “I don’t think Alistair likes _anyone_ better then he likes you.”

Sorina grinned, eyes thoughtful. “But he at least likes you equal. You guys could make me a sister!”

Zevran hid a smirk behind his hand as Brielle made a strangled sound at the back of her throat. “Mi amor, I believe you are the only child any of us need.”

“They could still have a pretty wedding.”

Brielle made another strange sound, and Zevran took pity on her. “I believe that is something Alistair and the Warden would have to discuss themselves. In the meantime, you keep this to yourself.”

She pouted but acquiesced. “Fine, but we should make her hair extra pretty tonight.”

He nodded solemnly, continuing with his work, and she turned back to the task at hand. Brielle had relaxed some, and Sorina hummed as she went. By the time Alistair’s shift was done, they were still working, and he came to join them.

Sorina looked delighted when she saw the two Wardens grin at each other, and though Zevran knew she was great at keeping secrets, this seemed to be the one that might spill out. “Nice job, butterfly, Brielle’s hair looks beautiful.”

“Her hair is always pretty,” she looked at the templar critically.

“We just made it prettier, yes?”

When she saw his raised eyebrow, she scowled but nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line as she turned back to the task at hand. Alistair immediately noticed her sullenness and looked at Zevran questioningly. The older man just shook his head, so he didn’t say anything about it. 

Once Zevran finished his part of Brielle’s hair he sat back and observed Sorina’s work. It was a little clunkier, but all the practice she’d had on her own hair, as well as his had paid off. She worked intently as the three adults talked, smiling triumphantly and sitting back on her haunches when she was finished.

“All done, you can finish it now, papa!”

He did as she said, twisting the braids together, and tying a ribbon around the end. It would stay put overnight, and Brielle could take it out in the morning and replace it with her usual hairstyle. Doing hair had become a good way to pass time at night, and keep Sorina still as Morrigan reviewed lessons with her.

“Now that Brielle has the most beautiful hair in all of camp, I think it’s time for bed, mi amor.”

“‘M not tired,” Sorina hid a yawn behind her hand.

“I’ll tell you a story about glorious Antiva City before you go to sleep. Don’t you want to be well rested for your lessons tomorrow?”

Getting to her feet, she looked like she might argue, but another yawn cut her off, and her shoulders slumped. Wandering over to Alistair, she held her arms out to be picked up. He obliged, scooping her up and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Goodnight, butterfly.” She looked like she might fall asleep right there, so he handed her off to Zevran who carried her to their tent. Before the flap shut, they heard her murmur something that made Zevran chuckle and he and Brielle shared a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

The Temple of Sacred Ashes, and the Gauntlet had been a trying ordeal. They hadn’t been expecting to find a cult, never mind face a series of trials to get to the ashes. If that hadn’t been enough, they had also had to face deeply personal and difficult questions from the Guardian. Most of the questions Brielle had expected. Asking her about leaving her parents, asking Alistair about Duncan, and Morrigan’s abrupt end to her question.

What she hadn’t been expecting was the question the Guardian had begun to ask Zevran. It had pertained to Sorina’s mother, but Zevran had answered before the spirit had even finished. He and Sorina almost never spoke about her mother, and from the abrupt way Zevran had answered she assumed there were a lot of reasons for that.

They reached the edge of the village, and the sight of a small fire behind the last house had them exchanging curious looks. When they turned the corner, they spotted Sorina right away. Around her were the bodies of several cult members. One had their throat slit, and three other had been lit on fire.

As they approached she looked up, fingers flexing, but no spell was hurled their way. “Oh, Creators,” Sorina’s face creased in a frown.

She had a cut over one cheek, and blood spatters on her armor that at least didn’t seem to be her own. “Sorina, _what_ are you doing here?” Thinly veiled anger laced his words as Zevran crossed his arms over his chest. 

His daughter mirrored his pose. “I was helping,” her voice was much more confident then she looked, lip trembling as she stared him down.

“We didn’t _need_ your help,” Zevran’s voice was so sharp, Sorina physically winced, and he sighed heavily. “Are you hurt?”

She tilted her head up stubbornly, meeting his gaze even as her eyes welled with tears. Shaking her head despite the very obvious cut on her cheek, she didn’t take her eyes off her father. Zevran was practically vibrating with anger and tension, and Sorina was trembling. Alistair noticed her flinch when she shifted, and he started walking towards her. She winced when she tried to turn around to hide her back, only succeeding in revealing it to the rest of them. Her armor had been slashed, and there was blood seeping through. 

He pulled in a sharp breath, feeling sick. “We should get her back to camp so Wynne can take a look at her.”

Zevran’s eye twitched and there was a momentary flash of fear, but he didn’t so much as approach Sorina. When he stayed where he was, the tears in her eyes began to spill over, streaking red down her cheeks as they ran over spots of blood. “Butterfly, I’m going to pick you up now, ok?” Alistair’s voice was gentle.

She nodded her understanding, muffling a whimper of pain by biting her lip. They started off towards camp right away, the only sounds were Sorina’s occasional whimpers, which she muffled in Alistair’s shoulder.

As soon as they arrived back at camp, Brielle yelled for Wynne who hurried out of her tent. The older woman took a moment to take in the scene before motioning for Alistair to bring Sorina to Zevran’s tent. Morrigan followed them inside, and Zevran just hovered outside.

Brielle narrowed her eyes at him. “She needs you in there.”

There was a momentary crack in his stony expression as he shook his head. “No, Alistair…”

“No, she needs you,” her voice was firm.

Zevran swallowed hard, and for a moment she was scared he would just bolt. Instead, he nodded and she sighed in relief. A few minutes after he’d entered the tent, Alistair emerged. His movements were jerky as he searched for something in the bag before practically running out of camp. Brielle waited for him to return, and when he did he was aggressivley scrubbing the blood off his armor until he finally gave up and stripped his chestplate off completely. He looked haunted, so she went over to him.

He glanced up as she approached. “The gash isn’t as bad as we thought. She’ll probably have a few scars but,” he took a shaky breath, “but she’s going to be fine.”

Brielle glanced towards the tent. “That’s really good, for a moment there I thought Zevran would take off.”

“She was crying for him while we got her out of her armor. I doubt this is the first time she’s gotten hurt coming after him. She charged _us_ and he didn’t seem surprised. But he was just… angry.”

“Do you think it had to do with the question the Guardian asked?”

Alistair frowned at the mention of the spirit, suddenly finding wiping his hands very interesting. “Maybe, he did seem awfully agitated even before we found Sorina.”

He walked back towards the campfire, signaling an end to the conversation. Trailing behind, she sat beside him, taking his hand and holding it in her lap. They didn’t look at each other, just sitting quietly as they waited for Wynne to come out.

It was quite a while before she did, and when she came to sit down, she still had blood smearing her robes. Morrigan followed her out and returned to her own tent without a word to anyone. Wynne took a deep breath as she sat.

“Sorina is just fine, we stitched her up and gave her a healing potion. Zevran is sitting with her now.”

For once there was no judgement in her voice, and Alistair smiled in relief. “Thank you, Wynne.”

“You’ll want to thank Morrigan as well, she’s a surprisingly competent healer.”

“I’ll be sure to when I see her. I think I’ll go see Sorina now,” he squeezed Brielle’s hand gently before standing up.

He walked to the tent and announced his presence before lifting the flap. Sorina was laid out on her uninjured side on her bedroll, while Zevran sat beside her and held her hand. She was sound asleep, breathing even.

Alistair sat behind her, looking across at Zevran. “How is she?”

“She was a perfect patient of course, barely made a peep. Wynne reassures me she will be just fine.”

“Are you ok?” 

The other man sighed heavily. “I am… ashamed. I scared her, reacting as I did. I suppose it has been a while since she put herself in such danger.”

“Not since the night the darkspawn attacked, right?”

“She follows us often enough, but no, she has only jumped into battle when the enemy came to us.”

“It wasn’t like we were overrun or needed help, why would she do something like that today?”

Zevran glanced up briefly, immediately dropping his eyes back to her face. She looked so peaceful, and it was a gut punch reminder of how young she truly was. “It is the anniversary of her mother’s death. I should have remembered, but I did not.”

The silence that followed was thick and tense, and Alistair couldn’t stand it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

The older man looked surprised. “The loss was not mine, but Sorina’s.”

Alistair didn’t quite know what that meant, but he didn’t know how to ask for clarification. “Her mother was Dalish?”

“Oh, yes. I met her when I ran away to find them, chasing after fanciful tales. It was not so idyllic as I’d imagined, so I quickly returned to the Crows. When Sorina was born, I made very sure the Crows would never learn of her. Even after her mother died, she was safer with her clan.”

“But she started traveling with you?”

“She began causing trouble, and when I left after a visit, she followed and begged me to take her along. I could not refuse her.”

“So when did she…?” Alistair pointed at the intricate weaving of ink on Sorina’s face. 

Zevran traced a finger over the swirling lines, careful to avoid the stitches that stretched from halfway down her cheek and over her bottom lip. “Just before she left with me, she created her own vallaslin, and demanded the keeper give it to her. She thought Sorina would prove she was not ready, so she agreed, she was not counting on Sorina being able to get through the whole thing.”

“Morrigan said it was a coming of age thing? Why would the keeper even agree at all?”

Zevran leveled him with a look. “You know once she gets an idea in that little head of hers, she does not let it go. Even _I_ am not so stubborn. I suspect the keeper agreed because after she lost her mother, she needed a reminder of what connected them.”

“Her mother had the same vallaslin?”

“No, but this part,” he swept a finger over her forehead, “represents the same god Rose honored.” He pointed to the ink on her chin, and the branches along her cheekbones. “This honors Falon’Din, their god of death and fortune.”

“She honored her mother’s life and death.”

“Precisely, but she does not like to speak of it.”

“She never speaks about her mother. How did she die?”

The rogue’s gaze was shrewd and when he seemed satisfied with what he saw, he nodded. “Since I had returned to the Crows, I could not see Sorina as much as I desired. I did not wish to draw attention to their clan, so Rose, bless her, would travel a ways away from where the clan was camped to meet me. Some humans came upon their campsite while they waited for my arrival. Rose was killed.”

“So Sorina... watched her mother be killed?”

“Rose told her to run, but she did not. When Rose had been killed, Sorina took her mother’s daggers and stabbed the first human who drew too close. I scarcely arrived in time to save our daughter.”

“How long ago was this?”

“Two years, two very, very long years.”

They sat in comfortable silence for quite a while, with Alistair lost in thought. He didn’t know how much time had passed when Sorina finally started to stir. She was slow to blink her eyes open, but when she did, her eyes fell of her father. “I’m sorry,” her voice was just a whisper.

“As am I, mi amor,” Zevran tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should have remembered.”

She nodded. “Will you tell me a story about Rose?” 

“Of course, mi amor, Alistair and I will tell you all the stories you’d like.”

Sorina looked over her shoulder at Alistair, wincing as she did. He put a reassuring hand on her arm. “I’m right here, butterfly, just relax.”

She did as she was told, laying back on her side. Zevran began a story about her mother, about meeting her during his brief stay with the Dalish. Part way through the story, Sorina’s breathing evened out again. He let the story trail off, but he and Alistair stayed there with her until much later when she was ready to get up.

Once Arl Eamon had been cured, and he prepared to call a Landsmeet, they set off for Orzammar. They arrived in the Dwarven city only to find yet another crisis that needed to be solved. After their first day there, they trekked back to camp.

The sight that greeted them was one no one would believe if they didn’t see it themselves. Sorina was climbing on Shale, and then hopped down, running to Sten and pulling on his arm until he held out his arm for her to swing on. They made no move to discourage her, and their stoicism didn’t dampen her spirits, her triumphant laugh floating through the air when she managed to get herself onto Sten’s shoulders. He didn’t help her climbing efforts, but he didn’t knock her off either.

Leliana, Zevran, Brielle, and Alistair froze on the edge of the camp, eyes tracking Sorina’s movements. She climbed off of Sten’s shoulders and returned to Shale, once again clambering up the golems back. She was cackling wildly as she played, and Brielle couldn’t help but wonder what Sorina had done to make the two agree to it. While she was up on Shale’s shoulders, she saw them standing at the edge of camp and grinned happily.

When she went to get off of the golem, she lost her footing, and before she could hit the ground, Shale caught her, sighing in annoyance as she set the little girl down. Sorina managed to give her a kiss on the cheek before she straightened.

Shale looked as shocked as a golem possibly could before scoffing. “I could squish the small painted elf.”

Sorina leaned back, holding Shale’s hand to keep herself up. “But you won’t,” her voice was full of confidence.

Shale shook her off, and Sorina tumbled to the ground. Alistair and Zevran still couldn’t seem to move, so they didn’t rush over immediately. Sorina just stared up at the golem, eyebrows drawing down and together. “That wasn’t very nice.”

Brielle was pretty sure Shale rolled her eyes, and with another several put out sighs, she picked Sorina up off the ground and set her on her feet a little roughly. Shale didn’t say anything more, just uttering her disgust when Sorina hugged her for a brief moment. After she pulled away, she ran over to Alistair and Zevran, throwing herself at her father. 

“Papa!”

Zevran’s arms were slow to come around her, still shell shocked by Sorina using two of the most intimidating beings in Thedas as basically trees. “Well, mi amor, I see you had a good day.”

She smiled brightly. “I did! How was your day?”

A frown creased Zevran’s face for a moment. Tomorrow, everyone would set off for the Deep Roads to look for the Paragon Branka. It would be a long journey, and they would be away for at least a few weeks. There was no way to bring Sorina along, and they were all dreading telling her. They had considered asking Wynne to stay behind at camp, but Sorina would never forgive them. Bodahn was more then competent enough to look after her, but she could be quite a handful.

Sorina was in high spirits for the rest of the night, spending an extraordinary amount of time describing a pretty tree she’d seen. Brielle and Leliana sat at the fire, listening with interest, and carrying the conversation so Sorina wouldn’t notice how strange Zevran and Alistair were acting. It was clear their minds were on telling her about their trip instead of absorbing all of the little girl’s anecdotes about the forest.

When she’d finally talked herself out, Sorina was yawning wide with eyes beginning to droop. She was leaned fully into her father’s side, and he reluctantly roused her enough to go to their tent. Alistair followed behind since he and Zevran had agreed to tell her together. It wasn’t long before the sound of Sorina’s crying pierced through the air, making Brielle and Leliana wince. Even Wynne looked sympathetic when she came to sit by the fire.

Zevran and Alistair emerged quite a while later, looking exhausted and upset. Things had quieted down, and Brielle assumed Sorina had worn herself out and fallen asleep. They rejoined them at the fire. “How long will we be in the Deep Roads?”

“A few weeks at least, there’s just no way to take her with us, it’s just too dangerous. And a little elf will stick out like a sore thumb in Orzammar. Bodahn and Sandal will take good care of her.”

Zevran glanced at the Dwarves standing at the edge of their camp. “I have no doubt.”

“But you’re worried,” her voice was gentle.

“I worry my little shadow might make her exit if she believes we’ve left her.”

Brielle blew out a breath. “I didn’t know she might do something like that.”

“Oh yes, that is why she is with me, she would no longer stay with her clan.”

Alistair spoke up across from them. “What if I come back to the camp every few nights? We don’t all have to go into the Deep Roads… do we?”

“I don’t really know, we don’t know what we’ll face down there, and all hands might be needed.”

Both men deflated. “Right… of course,” Alistair sighed heavily.

Glancing at his tent, Zevran frowned. “It will be alright, I suppose we should be more worried she will follow us to the Deep Roads.”

Brielle looked as horrified at the notion as Wynne, but luckily the older woman didn’t say anything. “She wouldn’t.” Zevran and Alistair leveled her with a look and she nodded. “Ok, yeah, you’re right.”

“Let us be sure to keep a close eye on the path behind us tomorrow, yes?”


	6. Chapter 6

The Deep Roads were terrifying, and Zevran and Alistair were itching to return to camp and see Sorina. After seeing the new King crowned, they beat a hasty exit, wrapping up all their business and practically sprinting out of Orzammar. When they reached camp, it was just getting dark, and a fire had been built in the middle of the clearing.

Bodahn and Sandal were standing in their usual spot, but Sorina was nowhere in sight. When Bodahn spotted them walking into the clearing, he came right over. “Ah, Warden, we were wondering when you might return. Serah Sorina has been quiet since you all left, I’m sure she’ll be quite happy to see you. she’s just returned from a walk in the woods.”

Thanking him, Zevran headed to his tent and Alistair fell into step as they reached the tent. “Sorina?” He spoke as he opened the flap so she wouldn’t be startled. She was sitting in the corner of the tent, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and something clutched to her chest.

“You came back,” Sorina’s voice was flat.

They crawled in and let the flap fall shut. “Of course, mi amor, we told you so,” Zevran paused a moment, “is that my glove?”

She pouted, pulling it closer to her chest. “Maybe.”

He held open his arms, and Alistair watched Sorina crawl into his lap, dragging the blanket behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed a kiss to her temple. She kept the glove clutched in her hand as he murmured reassurance into her hair. It still surprised him that watching a former member of the Crows reassure a child didn’t seem at all strange anymore.

Alistair reached to pull the blanket back around her shoulders and paused. “Is this my blanket?”

Sorina didn’t answer, just tucking her head under her father’s chin. A fond smile spread over his face, and he just touched her back softly. Zevran kissed the top of her head. “Ah, mi amor, how about I braid your hair and eat some of the delectable things I brought for you?”

Sorina’s face brightened and she was up off his lap and out of the tent in a flash. Zevran and Alistair exchanged a look of amusement before following after her. When it was time for Sorina to go to bed, she refused until Zevran told her a story, and Alistair agreed to sleep in the same tent. It was a tight fit, but both men agreed to go to bed at the same time, if only to convince her to sleep herself. She laid down with her head on Zevran’s chest, and before she fell asleep, she reached a hand out behind her that Alistair took, holding it gently as her breathing evened out.

When Sorina found out they had to go to the Brecilian Forest to see the Dalish, she was _thrilled_. She never ran out of energy, bouncing and singing every day they traveled. Occasionally she would manage to get on Sten’s back as they walked, and when they grew close to the camp, she somehow managed to get up onto his shoulders.

He grumbled in annoyance at her antics but kept her secure so she wouldn’t fall. Sten had made it clear he didn’t like mages, or believe female’s could be fighters, but he was somehow able to look past both things for Sorina. The first time Sorina had ever met Sten, he had looked at her in disgust. He was more then twice her size, and quite intimidating, but instead of cowering, Sorina had bared her teeth and pulled her dagger on the Qunari. Brielle wondered if that was why Sten allowed her to do things like climb onto his back and use his arm to swing on.

As soon as they reached the camp, the hunters just outside looked shocked when they spotted Sorina, but granted them entrance. They made it clear that they would be watched closely. Brielle immediately went to speak to the Keeper, and quickly learned the clan was having problems of their own. Sorina slipped off, and just a few minutes later her laugh could be heard across the camp. She was running and playing with a small group of children. Even without a vallaslin it would have been easy to pick her out of the group because the unique color of her hair.

Zevran seemed to content to allow her to run and play while they spoke to the Keeper, but as the conversation was drawing to a close, he whistled, and she returned to his side immediately.

When Zathrian saw her, he looked slightly shell shocked. “And who is this?” He covered up his surprise quickly.

“Andaran atish’an, I’m Sorina,” she smiled politely.

Zathrian looked impressed for a moment. “You travel with the Wardens then?”

“Yes, Keeper, my papa is helping them.”

He looked at the group, eyes settling on Zevran. “This is your daughter?”

“Oh yes.”

“And where is her clan?”

“They roam the Free Marches as we speak.”

“Interesting, interesting,” Zathrian looked thoughtful. “Sorina would be a welcome visitor if you’d like her to stay here while you go into the forest.”

“I would be most grateful,” Zevran’s smile was charming. He said something to Sorina in Antivan, and after she gave he and Alistair a quick hug, she returned to playing.

The Keeper looked after her. “I rarely see a vallaslin honoring two of our Creators, and never on one so young.”

“Sorina is only young in age, her Keeper believed her to be ready,” Zevran turned to the Warden. “Shall we begin our quest, dear Warden?”

Brielle nodded. “I think we’ll just talk to your first for a moment and head out. You’re sure Sorina won’t be much trouble?”

“Very sure, she’s welcome here,” Zathrian nodded slightly.

Before they left the camp, they talked with Lanaya for a bit, and ran into a few other members of the clan who were looking for help. Sorina ran up to them as they were talking to Varathorn, looking like she had something to tell them. When she saw the goods he had she seemed to forget what it was, touching the pieces reverently. She seemed particularly enamored with the Dalish armor.

“Like Rose's,” she looked up at Zevran for a moment.

Out of nowhere, she produced four sovereigns, holding them out to Varathorn. “Is this enough?”

He didn’t seem to be able to form an answer, and Zevran shot him a polite look and took her by the shoulders. “Excuse us just a moment please,” he nodded at Alistair to indicate the warrior should come as well.

The three went a ways away so they’d be out of earshot. “Where did you get that money, Sorina?” Zevran crossed his arms over his chest.

“The ladies in Denerim had lots of money,” she scuffed her boot into the dirt refusing to look at him.

“I don’t suppose they gave it to you, did they?” Alistair raised a brow.

She frowned down at her hands. “No.”

Looking at his daughter, Zevran felt a spike of panic. “You pickpocketed them?” 

“They didn’t notice, honest. I just wanted to buy something pretty.”

“But Turtle found you, yes?” He sighed heavily. “Amor, if you had been caught, they would have sent you to the alienage.”

As a child, Sorina had been told about Alienages, but she had never seen one. “I’m sorry, papa,” she finally looked up at them. “They had so much money, I knew they wouldn’t notice.”

Alistair tilted his head. “How did she even learn to pickpocket?”

“Her mother’s sister I assume. She had quite the sticky fingers.”

“And Sorina picks up things very quickly.”

“Precisely,” he held out his hand for the coins. 

Sorina clutched them to her chest protectively, but the look Zevran gave her had her relinquishing them to him just a few moments later. “No more stealing, understand?”

“Yes, papa.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Very good, let us go so we do not hold up the Warden any longer. The Keeper has graciously allowed you to stay while we go into the forest.”

Sorina looked disappointed to miss out on exploring a beautiful forest, but she didn’t protest, allowing them to lead her back to Varathorn’s table. Alistair and Zevran gave her a final hug and kiss before watching her run off to join the children and turning around to follow Brielle out of camp.


	7. Chapter 7

When all was said and done and the Archdemon lay dead, things began to move quickly. Alistair was crowned king, and he and Brielle were married soon after. Sorina had been excited for the wedding, wanting to be a flower girl, but unfortunately with such a public affair, there was no explanation for a Dalish elf as flower girl.

She and Zevran were still in the front row as the two Wardens were married. When they turned to the crowd, Alistair could see Sorina clutching her father’s hand, trying to keep from running to him. It hurt to see her have to struggle to stay back.

The reception was a big affair, at Eamon’s insistance. The whole time he was talking to nobles, he saw Sorina flit at the edge of the festivities. Her eyes were sharp and shrewd, and like her father, she seemed to assess each person who came close. 

It was a relief when the reception was finally over, and he and Brielle were finally able to escape. Considering it was their wedding night, they should have wanted nothing more then to be alone. Instead they quickly changed from their wedding attire and waited in the sitting room impatiently for Zevran to arrive with Sorina.

The two finally slipped in just after servants had come to light all the torches in their quarters. Sorina stood by her father’d side, rocking up onto her toes and waiting for permission to approach Alistair.

“It’s ok, mi amor, you can go see him.”

As soon as she’d gotten her father’s permission, she ran to the newly crowned king. He scooped her up easily, and a small part of him hoped she never outgrew it. “It’s so good to see you, butterfly,” he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I saw you at the reception, keeping an eye on everyone.”

“Papa says big events are the perfect opportunity for assassins to slip in.”

Brielle tucked a strand of hair behind Sorina’s ear. “Luckily, you’re unbribable.”

Zevran chuckled. “Do not be so sure, Leliana has given her a taste for lavish things.”

For once Sorina didn’t seem to care that they were talking about her, laying her head on Alistair’s shoulder. It was hard to think that she and Zevran wouldn’t always be so close, for fear that someone would get suspicious. He and Zevran had decided that Sorina could stay at the palace a month or two, and then perhaps they would travel with Brielle if she chose to leave. Alistair suspected she would, just for the chance to have more time with the little girl. Her eleventh birthday was coming up soon, and none of them wanted to miss it.

Sorina lifted her head to look him in the eye. “Do I always have to follow the new rules?”

His chest tightened for a moment. Since the Landsmeet, they’d had to tell her she couldn’t just run to Alistair like she had when they had traveled together. They’d had to be even more stringent since he’d been crowned king. They wanted to keep attention off of her for as long as possible, and having a small Elvish child hugging the king all the time was not the way to do that.

“Butterfly, I don’t like the rules either, but we don’t want people to know you’re here.”

She stuck her lower lip out in a pout. “Why can’t it be like it was at camp?”

Zevran came to put a reassuring hand on her back. “Mi amor, Alistair is the king now. A lot of people will be watching, and we need to stay out of sight.”

“Brielle and I love you very much, but we need to keep you safe. You understand that, right?”

Sorina’s eyes welled with tears, and she laid her head back on his shoulder as her father murmured reassurances in Antivan and rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Do we get to stay with you tonight?”

Since they’d retrieved her from Redcliffe after the Battle of Denerim, she had struggled with being away from them. While Zevran was constantly with her to help, she continued to be separated from Alistair. Brielle answered before the other two were able to. “Of course, sweetheart, you and your papa can slip away in the morning.”

Alistair loved Brielle infinitely more for giving up their wedding night so Sorina could stay. “Wait until you feel the blankets, they’re really, really soft. _And_ I have a gift just for you.”

Sorina perked up immediately. “Softer than the ones in Val Royeaux?” Zevran had not been kidding about her continued fascination with Leliana’s home.

“We’d have to ask Leliana when we see her, but I bet you they are,” Alistair kissed her forehead.

She wriggled to get down and took his hand, leaning back to far that if he had let go she would have fallen. “Can I see my present?”

“Of course, c’mon, I’ll show you my new study,” he held her hand and led her through the door on the left.

Sorina’s eyes widened when she saw the large desk, and several book cases. Just as Alistair had suspected, the first thing she did was see if she could fit under the desk. Exchanging a look with Zevran, he knew it would be the first place to look if Sorina went missing. There was some rustling around, and then Sorina finally peaked out over the edge, grinning at them.

“It’s so big down here! Papa, you _and_ Alistair could fit down here too!”

It probably wasn't true, but before she could somehow convince them to try it, Brielle appeared in the doorway with an armful of blankets and pillows. When Alistair looked at her questioningly, she just shrugged. “All of us know she’s going to want to sleep in here.”

Now that she had discovered the hiding place beneath the desk, he was fairly sure that was true. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to the hard stone on his back, but he would never complain in front of Sorina.

Sorina’s face lit up when she saw Brielle. “The soft blankets!”

She made her way to them and reached out a hesitant hand to touch them, waiting to cross the final few inches until Brielle gave her the go ahead. The amazement on her face caused by some blankets was utterly endearing, and he stepped around her to get the gift from his desk. He wondered briefly how excited Sorina would be if she learned a second desk would be put in the study for Brielle.

Pulling the small box from the top drawer, he turned back around, taking a few moment to appreciate the scene before him. His new wife and Sorina were smiling and laughing as they felt the blankets, and Zevran looked on affectionately. 

“Sorina, do you want to see your gift?”

She was in front of him so quickly he had to admire how fast she moved. The tell tale signs of her excitement were clear, but she didn’t reach out until he held the box up to her. Prying it open, she looked inside, appearing confused. 

“It’s your necklace,” she tilted her head in question.

He picked it up gently, putting it on the back of his hand to see. “Nope, it’s just like mine, but I added a sapphire. Blue, your favorite color.”

She went to touch it before grabbing her hand back. “And it’s mine?”

Alistair smiled and pulled his own token from beneath his tunic. “All yours, now we’ll be matching.” He lifted the chain and dropped it around her neck. She immediately rubbed the token, looking entranced as she studied it.

When she looked up, she grinned so brightly it was nearly blinding. “We’ll be together, even when we’re not,” she touched the small diamond earrings in her ears. “Like the earrings papa gave me.”

“Exactly, so you don’t forget that we’re always with you.”

Sorina hid a yawn behind her hand. “What about Brielle?”

“What about me?”

“We don’t match.”

Brielle smiled at how put out she sounded. “How about I get us matching rings to complete the set?”

Sorina relaxed, wrapping her arms around Alistair again. “A pretty ring.”

The queen nodded in agreement. “The prettiest I can find.”

She nodded, and since it looked like she would fall asleep on her feet, Alistair spoke. “How about we get you to bed, butterfly?”

“I wanna sleep in here,” she yawned again.

Brielle had already begun to lay down the pillows and blankets, and they got her settled on them immediately. When they didn’t make any move to join her, she blinked up at them. “You too,” she pointed at each of them.

Exchanging an amused smile, they did as she said, working to get comfortable. Zevran pulled a blanket over her, and Brielle put one over she and Alistair. Sorina seemed satisfied and closed her eyes, breath evening out almost immediately. There was a torch lit that they didn’t bother to extinguish, the light allowing them to see Sorina.

Smiling fondly at his daughter, Zevran looked between the king and queen. “Ah, she had quite the day, I will be sure we are gone before the castle wakes.”

Alistair frowned at the reminder, but nodded. “We’ll see you two soon.”

“Of course, even _I_ would not turn down a summons by the King of Ferelden.”

“You definitely would,” Brielle propped herself up on her elbow to see him.

“Of course I would, but Sorina would not.”

Alistair leaned down to kiss her forehead. “She’ll be ok, won’t she?”

“My dear king, our child has fought darkspawn, killed cult members, attacked wardens, and learned to control her magic. She will be magnificent.”

Brielle smiled. “I can’t wait to see her all grown up.”

Her husband scowled. “I’d rather she were this little forever.”

“But alas, she will grow up eventually,” Zevran sighed exaggeratedly before settling back. “Good night, your majesties.”

Brielle rolled her eyes but laid back as well, exchanging a goodnight with her new husband as well. The floor wasn’t the most comfortable, but none of them dared to move, unwilling to risk waking Sorina if they did. 

A month and a half passed much more quickly then any of them wanted. Even though Sorina spent nearly every day hiding under the desks in the study as the king and queen worked, and slept in their quarters a few nights a week, it never felt like enough time. Her birthday was in just a few days, and they all agreed she and Zevran would have to depart the day after. 

Despite the sadness of their coming departure, Sorina’s birthday was a happy affair. Leliana, Shale, and even Wynne came to say their goodbyes. Sten had already returned to Seheron, and Ohgren and Morrigan had no desire to spend time at a child’s birthday party. Turtle had been glued to Sorina’s side the whole week, and Brielle could tell he was dreading when she left as much as any of them. 

Plans were made to meet Brielle at Vigil’s Keep in Amaranthine when Brielle took up her post as Arlessa in a month or so. Despite his reluctance, Alistair had named her Warden-Commander, and she would have to attend to her duties eventually. The only brightside was that she’d be under much less scrutiny there, and Zevran and Sorina would be able to stick around for a while.

They all got up early the next morning, helping Zevran pack the last of what would be needed, and getting Sorina ready for travel. She wore the ring Brielle had given her the day before on a chain alongside her necklace from Alistair and her earrings from her father. She was quiet while they got ready, but when it was finally time to leave, she broke down. 

Sorina cried softly and clung to him so tight, it broke Alistair’s heart, but he knew there was no way for them to remain at the palace any longer. Even with the help of Leliana, and to some extent Wynne, people were starting to take notice. While it wasn’t uncommon to see the children of Elven servants around the palace, an Elven child who was obviously Dalish drew much more attention.

It was nearly an hour before they could convince Sorina to let got of Alistair, and he promised he would see her soon. She didn’t seem to believe him, but for a child, she grasped why they had to leave in the first place. He sent her off with her father with a final kiss on the forehead, and a promise he’d write when possible. Then she and Zevran slipped into the shadows, and were gone, just like that.


	8. Chapter 8

Zevran hummed as he walked hand in hand with Sorina. It had been a month since they’d left Denerim, and they were making leisurely progress towards Amaranthine. He used message birds to keep Alistair up to date, and occasionally a messenger would bring word from the king. Sorina still missed the warrior terribly, but some of her spirit had returned.

“Papa, look!” She pointed to the sky where a blue bird flew overhead. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“Almost as pretty as you, mi amor,” he paused when he thought he heard something, but shook his head when no further sound followed.

They continued on in comfortable silence until Sorina suddenly froze. She pressed a finger to her lips, making worry swell in his chest. Several beats passed where they stayed perfectly still, when all of a sudden she tackled him to the ground as an arrow whistled past them. Blinking his eyes open as she rolled off of him, he watched in horror as several men and women appeared from the trees.

She was already on her feet, and before they could speak, Sorina had charged at one of the ones wearing light armor stabbing him clean through the stomach before he could even think to react. It gave Zevran the time he needed to get to his feet as they ran towards him. 

He was nearly overwhelmed when several of them were scorched with fire, killing them instantly. There was a bare moment when he saw Sorina flit by on the edges of the road, and when she reemerged, she killed a man creeping up behind him. Finishing off the last woman in front of him, he stood still and listened for reinforcements. 

When he heard nothing, he began to work on slitting their throats to be sure each and every one of them was dead. Sorina followed after him quietly, searching the pockets, picking up odds and ends. When they reached the one who seemed to be the leader, she found a paper on him and handed it to her father. As soon as Zevran saw what it said, he paled. The Crows had found him.

The group who had attacked them was not the last, and by the time they reached Vigil’s Keep they had defeated a second group of assassins, and a few stragglers. Zevran prayed Brielle was at the keep, but he was promptly told the Arlessa had been delayed several weeks. Considering the Crows had already found them four times, he couldn’t afford to wait there for her.

He’d told his daughter the truth after the first attack, and despite how scared she was, she took the news rather well. She had been well aware of the nature of his work, and had celebrated with them when they’d believed the Crows would no longer be a problem. The fact that they were back worried her, but she kept a brave face.

She had been injured in the second attack, and Zevran was agonizing about what to do. The longer Sorina was with him, the more opportunities the Crows would have to find out she was his daughter, and target her as well. If he brought her back to Denerim, she would have no one to care for her, and the Crows could probably still find her. What he needed to do was get her somewhere out of Ferelden completely, and far away from him. The first place that came to mind was her clan in the Free Marches.

He stayed up nearly all night agonizing over the decision, after being turned away from Vigil’s Keep. Once he got her somewhere safe, he would need to come up with a plan to eliminate the Crows, but that was a problem for another day. By morning, he’d decided bringing her to the Free Marches was the best thing he could do. They stopped at the keep to leave Brielle a detailed message for when she arrived. The seneschal promised to pass the message along to the new Arlessa, and reasonably satisfied the man was telling the truth, Zevran left with Sorina and headed towards the docks. 

It was easy to find passage to the Free Marches, though it was a little costly. Sorina didn’t ask what they were doing until Ferelden was out of sight. He wasn’t ready to tell her his whole plan, so he just reassured her that they were going to see her clan. The way she looked at him made it clear she knew he was lying to her, but she didn’t press for answers, instead curling further into his side.

They landed in Tantervale a week after they’d left Ferelden, and it took several days in the city to get a lead on the clan’s locations. Before they’d left, he bought her all new weapons and armor, stashing it in his pack until they reached the Dalish.

Once they were out of Ferelden, they didn’t run into anymore assassins, and Zevran was relieved. Seeing her injured once had been more then enough. While Sorina was quite a formidable opponent, she was a child, and still so small it put her at a disadvantage.

It took nearly a week to catch up to her clan, and when they finally did he felt both relief and horror as he walked into their camp. They hadn’t been back there since Sorina had begged to begin traveling with him and the keeper had given her blessing. The hunters on the edge of camp seemed to recognize Sorina, and they whispered to each other, but allowed them in without any protest.. He knew she understood what they were saying, but she didn’t react.

As soon as Sorina spotted the keeper, she ran to her. “Keeper Deshanna!”

Deshanna looked up in confusion as Zevran approached, hugging her back. “Da’len, we didn’t expect to see your return,” she squeezed the hand Sorina offered her as the little girl stepped back “And, Zevran, you’re looking well.”

“I’d like to speak to you a moment if I may.”

“Of course, da’len, I’m sure the rest of the clan will be very happy to see you, go visit with everyone.”

Sorina looked suspicious but did as she was told. When she was out of sight, Deshanna led Zevran to her aravel. Once they were inside, he began to explain what had been happening. She listened quietly, and when he finally got to the part where he requested that they allow Sorina to stay, she looked surprised.

“Of course Sorina can stay, she may have left us, but she will always have a place here. It is fortuitous that we are well equipped to help her learn more about her magic.”

“She was taught by a woman we traveled with, but you know she is always ready to learn more.”

“Yes, I am well aware, just as much trouble as you were in your brief stay with us.”

“Rose called her my little shadow, Sorina takes after me in many ways.”

“Rose would be proud.”

Zevran returned her smile. “Yes, I believe she would,” he paused for a moment. “Would you mind terribly if I see her get settled?”

“I trust your enemies will not find us here, will they?”

He rushed to reassure her. “No, they still do not know of her existence. She’ll be safe here.”

“Very well, stay for a few days if you’d like, she’ll be happy to have you around.”

“Thank you,” He turned to leave, but before he did, he handed her a satchel of things to give to Sorina once he was gone. Deshanna took it without a word and watched him leave, a sad smile on her face.

Two days after they arrived, Zevran knew it was time to leave before it became impossible. Sorina had delighted in sharing time with him with her clan, having never had the chance in the past. It was dusk when he led her to the edge of camp, having stashed his things there earlier. He hadn’t even figured out where to begin when she spoke. “You’re leaving.”

Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it among the other sounds of the forest. Deflating immediately, he nodded reluctantly. “Yes, mi amor, I must leave you.”

Her eyes welled with tears but she bit her lip to hold them at bay. “Because the Crows?”

Brushing away a few tears that slid down her cheek anyways, he lifted her up so they could be face to face. She clung to him tightly, but didn’t hide. “The Crows will not cease their attacks, and I cannot continue to put you in danger.”

“But I can fight! And I can do magic, I could help you!”

Zevran sighed. “I know, mi amor, but I need to protect you.”

“Can’t I go with Alistair?”

“No, if you returned to Denerim, there would be no one to care for you, and I fear the Crows would find you. Alistair and Brielle must attend to their duties.”

“Please, don’t leave me, papa, I don’t want you to go,” her voice wobbled dangerously.

It felt like his heart was physically ripping in half, and he held her a little tighter. “I wish I could stay, mi amor.”

Sorina nodded, leaning forward to kiss his forehead, threatening to make him break down completely. She hid her face in his shoulder, taking several deep shaky breaths. The fact that she was trying to be brave only made it hurt more. “Will you come back for me?” The words were slightly muffled, and he almost wished he hadn’t heard them.

It was one of the only times he couldn’t stand to tell her the truth. “The Maker himself could not keep me from you. I will return as soon as the Crows are no more.”

If she knew he was lying she didn’t say, clutching him tighter. He murmured reassurances, but there was nothing to say to make it better. She pulled back, tears streaking her face. “Our earrings will keep us together, right?”

“Your earrings, your necklace, your ring… You will never be without us, mi amor.”

Sorina nodded, sniffling softly as she placed a hand over his heart. “I’m in here too, right, papa?”

He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Mi amor, you are not just in there, you are my heart. I hope you never forget that.”

“Then why can’t I come with you? You can make sure I never forget,” she was pleading, and he wanted more then anything to give in and take her with him as more tears spilled over her lashes.

“I love you, but you cannot come with me this time. I will find you again, amor, I swear.”

“I want to come with you, papa, please don’t leave me!” She was sobbing now, clinging to Zevran like an octopus.

He tried to reassure her and set her down, but she wasn’t having it. Deshanna noticed from her spot by her aravel and hurried over. “Sorina, da’len, come sit down for supper. Hahren will tell you a story about our homeland.”

She shook her head frantically. “No, I want to go with him, make him take me with him!”

“Da’len, he’ll be back for you, but you must stay here with us.”

Sorina went boneless when Zevran tried to set her down again. Deshanna put hands under her armpits, trying to maneuver her away, even as she tried to reattach herself to him. He didn’t know how long he could watch his little girl fall apart without completely breaking himself. Tears ran down her cheeks, and the flush on her skin made her vallaslin stand out as she desperately reached for him.

“Mi amor, I will be back, be brave for me,” he took her hand and kissed the back before prying his fingers from hers.

Deshanna pulled Sorina against her front, wrapping her arms around her as she continued to struggle, reaching for her father. “Go now, I’ll give her everything you left her, and we’ll take good care of her.”

Reluctantly turning his back on them, he gathered his things and began to walk down the path. “Papa, don’t leave me! Please don’t leave!”

As he walked away from the camp, he straightened his back as Sorina’s screams carried through the forest. He didn’t look back, knowing if he did he would rush to his daughter and bring her with him. It was for the best, and Sorina would be safer with her clan. He repeated it in his head over and over as he got further, and her voice finally began to fade. Her gaze was heavy, and he felt it on his back long after he was out of sight of the camp.

He was going to kill each and every last Crow. None would be spared, because until they were all dead, he and Sorina would be apart. The Crows had no idea what was coming.


End file.
